Talvisota
by Surenu
Summary: They thought it was over. They were wrong. Their enemy has evolved - and brings the fight into a dimension completely new for the Strike Witches. Will they succeed, using new tactics, new technologies, new allies? And who is that mysterious traitor?  OCs
1. Chapter 1  A Call to Arms

**Talvisota**

_Disclaimer: I do not own, or claim ownership on Strike Witches or any other related copyrighted material. This fanfiction is merely the work of a fan, with no intent for commercial use. _

**Talvisota chapter 1 - Call to Arms**

In fall 1947, Yoshika Miyafuji closed down her medical office and went into her apartment, consisting of just four small rooms with traditional Fuso furniture. Leaves had already begun to fall, and it had begun to cool down. Nevertheless, Yoshika was as cheerful as ever as she prepared her evening meal, with the radio running in the background.

_"We interrupt this program for an emergency news report..."_

Yoshika, however, didn't really listen to it. The Neuroi had received a fatal blow by her hand two years earlier, sacrificing her magic power for a decisive victory on the Venezian front. Since then, she had been just a normal girl, fulfilling her childhood dream if becoming a proper doctor, and even without her healing magic, she was well-respected for her medical abilities.

_"Major military and scientific authorities have expressed concern over the recent developments on the Suomi-Orussian borders. According to experts, an attack of this kind has never been observed before..."_

Yoshika panicked a bit as her rice suddenly started to boil over, and quickly took it off the stove. As the water got back into the pot, she started to cut fish for sushi, and, as she was done with that, started to lovingly wrap the fish with the rice into the nori.

_"Witnesses reported a sudden emergence from the ground, however, due to the dust, smoke and flames all around, visibility was near zero. No photographs of the incident exist, and two surveillance planes borrowed from Baltland lost contact to their base a few miles before reaching their destination."_

With her dinner ready, Yoshika sat down at her kotatsu and began eating, finally beginning to pay attention to the radio.

"Oh, Eila's on the radio!" She murmured between bites, as she heard the familiar voice of her former battle comrade Eila Ilmatar Juutilainen. However, she didn't sound as cheerful as usual, and Yoshika began to worry.

_"We're now speaking with Pilot Officer Eila Ilmatar Juutilainen, an expert in Neuroi-warfare and veteran of the Venezian front from two years ago. Ms. Juutilainen, you were present at the incident. What happened?"_

_"I was visiting relatives near the border, in the town of Suojarvi. Suddenly, the ground began to shake, and the city hall began to crumble, and eventually collapsed. Flames blast out from everywhere, houses were suddenly incinerated, people ran through the streets, screaming for help. And then...well, I can't really describe what I saw... but, well, they leveled the city. Nothing's left. My relatives and a few others managed to escape, but the rest..."_

_"My concolences Ms. Juutilainen. What are you going to do next?"_

_"I can't say that, I don't have clearance to do so. However, you can be sure that we will organise countermeasures. This war is not over - it has only just begun."_

_"Thank you Ms. Juutilainen. And now, here's Tomoko with the weather..."_

Sushi was left untouched. Yoshika stared into nothing, eyes wide open, with an expression of sheer terror in her face. What was happening out there? Was the war still not over? Were the Neuroi taking ground again?

So many questions running through her head, she almost overheard the knock on her door.

"_Hai! _I'm coming!" She shouted as she ran downstairs to open the door to see who was there.

A well-known white uniform, black hime-cut, an eyepatch - Major Sakamoto stood at Yoshikas door, apparently out of breath from running all the way to her house.

"Miyafuji!" She shouted into Yoshikas face. "You heard it already?"

"Wh- er, yeah, I mean, I..." Yoshika stuttered, completely startled.

"Come with me. Now. Ask later." Sakamoto said clipped. "That's an order. You're still enlisted."

"But I..." Her words were useless, for she was grabbed by the hand and violently pulled out of her house.

"I can't abandon my medical office!" She shouted.

"So you're going to abandon Eila then?" Sakamoto shouted at her as she dragged her into a jeep with olive painting.

_So cruel... _Yoshika thought. _How could she say that? I don't want to abandon Eila... but I don't want to abandon my home either! I'm not even a witch anymore! What can I do?_

Around 7000 kilometers to the west, in western Orussia, Sanya patrolled the night. Her built-in magical radar picked up countless signals, but they were all very small. However, even though the night was clear and cloudless, she could not make out a single enemy in the skies. Below her was her escort of six MiG-3 fighters, equally targetless.

"Major Filipow reporting to Litvyak, we're close to crossing the border. Do the Suomis know we're coming?" Came the voice of one of her wingmen through her transponder.

"Yes. We informed them that we would be supporting them."

"Good. Filipow ou- wait, what the heaaAAARGH" The Majors last words were followed by white noise. As Sanya looked down, he saw that his plance was hit by a large red beam, completely annihilating it. All what was left were two burning wings, quickly falling to the ground. The other fighters quickly broke up their formation to look for the enemy, but it appeared that...

"Everyone, go to maximum altitude!" Sanya told her escort. "The beam came from the ground!"

Her words were in vain. The fighters were too slow to respond properly to the beginning onslaught, and all they could do was to fly random maneuvers hoping to confuse the enemy.

However, Neuroi can't be confused.

One airplane had it's tail cut clean off, but the pilot just barely managed to bail out, opening his parachute as late as possible as to not become a target again. The others were, however, all completely destroyed in one shot. Sanya was terrified - she had known those people for a few weeks now and had eventually begun to like them a bit - and now there was only one survivor, who would land in the freezing north of Orussia, with no town or military base nearby, but plenty of wolves, bears, and, apparently, Neuroi, all at temperatures of around -20° celsius.

She couldn't help him. Either way, he was already dead.

_"I'm coming, Eila..."_

As she crossed the border, all Sanya saw below her was apocalypse incarnate.

Suomus burned.

"Seargent Miyafuji Yoshika. You never left the Imperial Fuso Military officially. Therefore, you _will_ follow your orders and take part in the Suomus help-campaign. Do you understand that?"

"But I don't even have my magic powers anymore! I'm useless in battle!"

"Let that be our concern. You and Major Sakamoto will be subject to a special restoration-treatment. Dismissed!"

End of Chapter 1.

Authors Note: I'm back. Btw, "Talvisota" is finnish and means "Winter War".


	2. Chapter 2 Relief Troops

**Talvisota**

_Disclaimer: I do not own, or claim ownership on Strike Witches or any other related copyrighted material. This fanfiction is merely the work of a fan, with no intent for commercial use. _

**Talvisota chapter 2 - Relief Troops**

On a cold and lonely saturday evening, Eila was once again flying over the eastern part of her homeland. The sky was as dark as pure obsidian, sprinkled with the cold, glaring, unforgiving stars, unthinkable lengths away. Winter came early in Suomus, as early as fall came elsewhere, but Eila was used to the cold. In fact, she was a friend of it. In earlier wars, where man fought man, the cold was Suomus' greatest ally, and Eila had adapted to her mightiest ally. She shivered, but not from the cold. The villages below her, once peaceful harbors of warmth and hospitality were now burning hells, with flames burning all what was left of Suomus eastern part. Clouds of smoke reached almost all the way up to Eila, and carried the smell of burning diesel fuel, wood, and flesh. The enemy was unforgiving, using every weakness mankind had to offer - and these were plenty, especially in the rural areas of Suomus. The reports Eila had read before her sortie were terrifying - whole squadrons of planes were lost in the blink of an eye, and reportedly, two witches had been shot down and killed despite being very good with the shield. Therefore, Eila proceeded with extreme caution. Even though she could easily evade most attacks due to her unique ability, even she sometimes made mistakes, and if the reports were true and the enemies new attacks could penetrate shields, any mistake would be her last. Suddenly, she heard a voice in her ear. "Juutilainen, this is Turku. Do you copy?" "Solid copy, Turku. What's up?" She answered, not stopping to observe her surroundings. "Do you find anything on your side, Juutilainen?" "Negative, apparently they're gone again. The villages of Aunus, Salmi and Viipuri are obliterated - nothing's left, but no immediate hostile activity here. Guess I'll return to base then. Okay?" "Affirmative, Juutilainen. To cheer you up, we've got some good news here which we'll give to you as soon as you're here. Godspeed, soldier!"

At the same time, Miyafuji and Sakamoto already sat in a Karlsland-JU-86B1. The mighty diesel engines roared through the peaceful skies, only furtherly contributing to Miyafujis anguish of what was to come. The fact that the plane flew on a very low altitude to minimize casualties when shot down didn't really make this any better. "Sakamoto-san? Can you tell me what's going on now?" Miyafuji asked with a trembling voice. "I don't know much either." Sakamoto answered, desperately trying to keep cool. "All we know is that Suomus was attacked by an entirely new type of Neuroi. A terrifyingly... humanoid type of Neuroi, and also terrifyingly powerful. Half a dozen witches from Suomus and Orussia were shot down already - despite their shields. While the 501st Joint Fighter Wing is still officially disbanded, we're all ordered to meet in the Baltlandian city of Malma, on their south coast. All I heard was chatter about some special treatment and training. I guess it's safe to say they're desperate, since they pretty much forgot about the most important thing, our Striker Units. In the worst case, we'll have to fight on foot then. However, the last two years brought great inventions in small arms technologies, so I guess we'll get some new toys." Two Karlsland-airmen were also present, occasionally going to the cockpit and performing minor tasks such as emptying the pilots ashtrays. Thick cigar smoke hung low in the cockpit area, but was quickly sucked out into the night sky by the onboard ventilation-system. A small radio received and played popular songs from all around the world - famous artists such as Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra and Amanda Lear as well as Orussian propaganda songs from their famous army-choir, Hispanian guitar music and Gallian _chansons_. It was a strange athmosphere, calming and at the same time unnerving. Both Sakamoto and Miyafuji needed information, or else they'd snap.

With sleepy eyes, Sanya landed on the Malma International Airport, completely unreliant of flight controls services - she knew who and what was in her vicinity without even looking. During the past two years she had practiced her unique ability and was able to sense pretty much anything. Winter had come early to Baltland and Suomus that year, and it came with the rage of a berserker from ancient times. It was merely October, and temperatures even in southern Malma hit -20° celsius at night. Navigating to the 2000 meter landing strip without even using her eyes, she also determined that another witch was landing right next to her. Sanya smiled as she sensed that one familiar presence she liked so much. Blonde hair, mischievous personality, utmost loyalty to her battle comrades... yes, Eila was close. And her former battle comrades from Karlsland, Erica and Gertrude, were also closing in at rapid pace. And even though she still mourned the loss of her fellow Orussian countrymen and battle comrades, the presence of Eila and the others she sensed was the first ray of sunshine after a long night flying over desolate battlefields. In fact, what was going down there were not battles - they were massacres.

On a sudden whim, Sanya did a touch-and-go-landing, searching for Eila in the thick mist. However, Sanyas superior senses were stronger than nature, and the familiar sound of Eilas Striker-Engines was the motorized version of the three words every person likes to hear for Sanya. "Eila." She whispered into her microphone after adjusting her in-ear radio for Eilas frequency. "Good to see you." "Sanya?" Came the familiar voice from Sanyas headphones. "Is that..." Without further words, Sanya flawlessly walked towards Eilas exact position - a Suomi sniper couldn't have done it better. Visibility was below ten meters, but as Sanya closed in, she saw the familiar shape of her battle-comrade _(Is she more than that?)_ and close friend _(And maybe even more?), _helplessly trying to penetrate the thick ocean-mist with her eyes, until she suddenly received a close and warm hug from a certain Orussian master of observation. "Eila." Sanya whispered. "We're back." Eila panicked just for a split second until she returned the warm embrace of Sanya. Uniform touched uniform, skin touched skin, and for a moment, all pain was forgotten. The sacrifice of Aunus, Salmi and Viipuri, the tragic of Major Filipow, Lieutenant Petrenko, Lieutenant Savinov, Lieutenant Sokoll, 2nd Lieutenant Vasilyev and Master Sergeant Mikhailova, who had just married her new husband Ivan Krupin two weeks beforehand, were just fragments of the past for a split second. However, pain is like a can in the water - it doesn't go down easily. "We'll get them." Eila whispered with a trembling voice, first tears wetting Sanyas black and red uniform. "We'll get our revenge. This time, they've gone too far... We... we will..." Sanya looked up to her old friend - or more - Eila, as Eila suddenly raised her voice to a ferocious battlecry: "REVENGE FOR SUOMUS! IN MANKINDS NAME, LET NO NEUROI SURVIVE!"

An hour later, tears were dried, and the present officers - Eila Ilmatar Juutilainen, Sanya V. Litvyak, Erica Hartmann and Gertrude Barkhorn - sat in the situation room at Malma Airforce Base. Minna Dietlinde Wilcke, known for her striking, red-haired beauty and her former command of the 501st Joint Fighter Wing, better known as the Strike Witches, holding the rank of Wing Commander, held a presentation about the most recent developments on the newly established Suomus-front. "We are unable to fully determine the enemys strength by now. In fact, all we know is that it must be some kind of new Neuroi. Several villages in eastern Suomus were annihilated, and the city of Turku has suffered severe damage. The Suomi arms factory has been destroyed, and therefore, the Suomus armed forces are now completely reliant of foreign deliveries. The 46th and 32th infantry division, as well as the 23th and 21st armoured division have been completely annihilated - there were literelly no survivors. However, thanks to the plead of the Suomi government, the former Strike Witches have been called to battle. In a week, all of the former members of the 501st Joint Fighter Wing will be present here in Malma to receive special training by one Karlslandian infantry officer and a famous Suomi sniper - the Karlslandian will be Klaus von Osterwitz, holding the rank of Captain, the Suomi will be Sini Häyhä, who scored over a hundred ground-based kills on Neuroi in the years of 1939 until 1942. She is a capable person - and she will be your superior, as she will train you, so treat her with respect." Along with her words, several pictures of destroyed towns and villages were shown, along with photographs of the persons Wilcke spoke of.

"May I ask a question?" Gertrude Barkhorn asked in between her attempts to wake Erica up. "Permission granted." Minna answered. "You said that every member of the former 501st Joint Fighter wing would show up - does that include Major Sakamoto and Sergeant Miyafuji?" Minna looked through a few papers, and then answered "Yes, they're scheduled to arrive in two days." Gertrude, or, for short, Trude then said with a louder voice "Ma'am, those two are capable and respectable soldiers, and I'd be glad to have them by my side - but they depleted all of their magical energy. Will they be able to suffice the demands of this war?" Minna pondered for a bit, looking through her papers again. Apparently, she knew just as much as Gertrude did. "Apparently, the headquarters think they'll be fine. I heard rumours of a special restoration-treatment, but I cannot ascertain that. All we can do is trust in our superiors... as much as I dislike that." The last words where whispered and therefore unheard. "Any more questions? No? Dismissed!"

End of Chapter 2.

A/N: Okay, chapter 1 had a lot of errors and seriously lacked quality. I'll try to overwork and reupload it in the next two weeks, but I can't name any specific date. Hope you like this one - this is the beginning of something else. Our witches will face the same enemy, but with a new face, new weapons and new abilities.

Stay tuned!

Surenu


	3. Chapter 3 Regrouping

**Talvisota**

_Disclaimer: I do not own, or claim ownership on Strike Witches or any other related copyrighted material. This fanfiction is merely the work of a fan, with no intent for commercial use. _

Okay, let's see if I get spacing right this time...

**Talvisota chapter 3 - Regrouping**

"Do you know von Osterwitz, Trude?" Erica asked her comrade and compatriot as they sat in the dimly lit dining hall of Malma Air Force Base. The rustic wooden furniture with sturdy features, and the crackling fire at the fireplace gave off a calming athmosphere, quickly giving a feeling of a second home to the present Witches. Dinner was long done, but since some still had to arrive, the Witches were still off duty, waiting for their chance of sortie - chance of retaliation.

"Yes, although I never talked to him that much. Captain von Osterwitz is pretty young for his rank, and he's not even a Witch or Warlock." Gertrud began, took a deep, satisfying sip of her coffee and continued. "He led several assault teams in the 6th Army, before it was annihilated in the ruins of Dresdon. He's said to be the only surviver from his whole battallion. When I was cross-training with the other sections of the army a year ago, he tough me some tricks with the MP40, which proved pretty handy."

"So he's good, despite not being a Witch, huh?" Erica inquired in her usual laid-back, lazy tone. They had just moved into their quarters, and hers was mess already - the comeback of Gertruds Siegfried-line was imminent. "But why is he supposed to train us? Those _Sturmtruppen_ worked entirely on the ground, and we're airborne. They do stuff like running from cover to cover, throwing grenades and blowing up bridges. We shoot down Neuroi in the sky. What's the point?"

"To be honest, I know just as much as you do, and Minna seems to be in the same situation." Gertrud began to ponder. What was this all about? They never worked with ground forces. The closest to that had been the Imperial Fuso Navy. "But now that you mention it, it really looks like we'll be on ground this time. The terrain of eastern Suomus consists of mountains and dense forests, with countless lakes. No Neuroi were sighted on radar, and I heard word from our Orussian allies that Sanya did detect countless of signals, but couldn't see them. If they hid in the woods, that would be really bad. They could strike anywhere, any time they wanted. So I guess a little training in infantry combat wouldn't be too bad."

Erice stood up, emptied her last bit of coffee, ate her very last Baltlandian cookie with chocolate topping, and began to walk to the door. "Well, we'll see what comes, right? Before we know anything, we shouldn't worry about the worst case. I'm taking a bath - want to tag along?"

At the same time, a Karlslandian Junkers Ju 90 cargo plane touched down on the runway outside. It was deep into the night, and the landing was difficult due to darkness, mist and the fact that one of the engines had been blown to pieces by an attacking Neuroi. The plane was then just barely saved by a squad of patrolling Gallian witches, it's speed and a good portion of luck. Aboard the plane was a fresh shipment of new weapons, ammunition, fuel, supplies and one man. He wasn't much older than twenty, but his eyes seemed to stare a thousand miles into oblivion - the eyes of a man who had seen to many of his friends die horrific deaths, who had seen too much destruction and decay for his young life. His eyes were a bright blue, and his weather-beaten skin showed a black three-day-beard. He wasn't exceptionally handsome, but not ugly either. However, he seemed to be a little skinny - the fighters tummy, as it was called. His uniform was a knee-long black leather coat with the insignias of the Karlslandian army, two Wound Badges, a Liberion Medal of Honor and his rank insignias, signifying his rank of Captain. His pants were olive green with brown and black stripes over them - Karlslandian woodland-camouflage pattern. He didn't wear his uniform cap, and instead sported a green steel helmet with many scratches and dents. In his holster laid a Karlslandian P38-Pistol with two extra magazines.

As he left the airplane and the ground personnell started to unload the precious cargo, Minna stood in front of him, wearing a thick winter coat made from bear pelt and a matching hat, saluting. "Good evening, Captain von Osterwitz." she greeted him. Von Osterwitz saluted and answered "Good evening, Commander Wilcke. It's an honor for me to serve under your command. If you need anything, please let me know." His greetings were formal and friendly, but his voice showed his mental exhaustion.

"First of all, Captain von Osterwitz, let me give you my condolences. It must have been a great loss for you. The 6th will never be forgotten." Minna spoke with caution, as not to upset von Osterwitz. Minna was a very empathic person, and immediately began to worry about her new subordinate officer.

Von Osterwitz shook his head. "It was a mandatory sacrifice. One million good men and women gave their lives for the survival of our motherland. We were able to delay the Neuroi offensive long enough, so that Witches could come to help from other fronts." He looked at his Medal of Honor which he got for a recent sortie with his Liberion allies against a small Neuroi hideout near Hawaii. "It's those men who deserved those. However, let's get to business. You said you need me to train your witches, am I right?"

"Yes." Minna said and nodded. "However, let's go into the building and continue talking in my office. It's pretty cold out here." With these words, she began to walk into the direction of the main building, followed by on Osterwitz. The guards at the door stood straight and saluted as their superiors walked by, and quickly dropped their cigarettes on the floor.

On the way to Minnas office, the two officers ran into Gertrud and Erica, who were on their way to the bath, accompanied by Eila and Sanya. The four witches quickly saluted and gave out formal greetings.

"Good timing, you four." Minna said to them and positioned herself next to von Osterwitz. "Von Osterwitz, please introduce yourself."

"Stand at ease. Good evening. My name is Klaus von Osterwitz, leader of the 4th Company of the 6th Karlslandian army... or what's left of it. My task here is to teach you the basics of infantry warfare in close quartes battle, in formation and individually. I've heard of your former successes against the invaders - I'm proud to be able to serve with you. It's a great honor." He then proceeded to shake everyones hands, to the great surprise of the Witches. "Well then, I'll see you tomorrow in mess hall. Dismissed!" With these words, he and Minna proceeded to her office.

"Wow. Did you see these eyes? He looks like he's been through hell." Erica pointed out as soon as they were out of hearing range. "It's like he's looking directly through you - scaaaaary." She wrapped her arms around a surprised Gertrud. Eila then replied "Well, I guess he did. But, haven't we all? Come on, let's go to the bath now. We've got almost a week left, and we'll be back in war soon enough. Let's not talk about it now."

Even in war, there may be luxury, and the bathhouse with attached sauna of Malma Air Force Base was one of such luxuries. The water was nice and warm, and the four girls were quick to forget the suffering of their allies in the east for at least a short time. "So, Trude, what do you think about him?" Erica asked with a mischievous expression.

"He's a decorated superior officer, and I hold high respect for him and the sacrifice of the 6th Army, and I'm curious of the tactics he is going to teach us. Why do you ask?" Gertrud answered, completely oblivious of Ericas intentions.

"C'mon, Trude, you know exactly what I mean..." Erica smirked. Eila tried to hold back laughter, and Sanya had fallen asleep.

"No, I don't." Gertrud replied. Her expression showed that her words were true - she had no idea.

"Okay, let me rephrase that. What will you do after the war?"

"I'm not sure yet. Perhaps stay in the military to train the newcomers. The war is still going on - there's no need to think about that now." Gertrud stood up and walked towards a cabinet full of towels to dry herself.

"Ever considered marriage?" Eila asked, turning around towards Gertrud. "Perhaps with... a compatriot?"

"I'll think about that after the war." Gertrud answered and left.

"You chased her off." Erica pointed her finger towards Eila. "You managed to scare the fearless Karlslandian deathbringer from the sky. Congratulations!"

"You started it, Erica." Eila replied with a cocky expression and tone. "Well, I'll be going out, too."

At the same time as the Witches tried to analyze Gertruds marriage plans, von Osterwitz sat on a comfortable chair in front of Minnas desk. He had taken his helm off, showing his black, crew-cut hair, also revealing a scar on his temple.

"Would you like a glass of wine, Captain?" Minna asked and chose a bottle from her own collection. After the liberation of Venezia, she had started to collect venezian wines.

"Yes, please, Commander." Von Osterwitz replied, opening his jacket and presenting an envelope. "This is a copy of my orders from headquarters, just in case you need it for your files. Everything is signed, so there should be no problems. Inside is also a detailed itemization of our cargo. We got what you requested, but I'd like to train the Witches on ordinary weapons first. Remember, these are untested in battle. Even I haven't fired them yet."

Minna took the envelope and sorted the papers contained into their appropriate folders. "I understand. During their special training, the girls are all yours, so train them what you see fit. Remember, you are the expert here. Is there anything you need?"

Von Osterwitz pondered for a second. "Yes. I'll need a shooting range and a one-mile-track. An unused field would also be perfect. I've brought enough ammunition for a whole platoon with me, and the planes will keep on coming, so that's no worry."

Minna looked over a few maps on her desk and nodded. "That's entirely possible." Her desk was pretty tidy - most folders were contained in a shelf on the wall behind her, next to the map of northern Europe and the Baltlandian flag. All in all, her office was pretty spartanic - except for her small collection of expensive wines. "But why do you need a field?"

Von Osterwitz took another sip of his wine. It was silky, medium sweet red wine from southern Romagna - a second heaven for oneologists. He put the glass down to the table again, carefully placing it so he didn't spill any wine on important documents and continued. "Your superiors want the whole infantry-program for your Witches. That inclused moving in cratered and devastated terrains and the construction of basic defensive structures. An acre or two of unused crop fields is perfect for that, since afterwoods the whole area is well dug-under, so most farmers don't even complain. Of course, we'll simulate artillery barrages and tactical detonations, too, so it would be good if said field was a few miles away from the next settlements. Oh, and if it had a forest next to it... that'd be perfect!"

End of Chapter 3.

A/N: Well, I really hope I got the spacing right this time. I'm so out of shape, practice and probably time... next week's going to be tough.


	4. Chapter 4 Authorized Strength

**Talvisota**

_Disclaimer: I do not own, or claim ownership on Strike Witches or any other related copyrighted material. This fanfiction is merely the work of a fan, with no intent for commercial use. _

Yeah, I know, it starts slowly. I just don't want to through our beloved Witches into a new battle without first explaining why...

**Talvisota chapter 4 - Authorized Strength**

"This is Fuso Imperial Navy Cargo Plane 347, Callsign BAW-Six-Four-Six. Requesting permission to land on Malma Air Force Base." The pilot who flew Yoshika and Mio over the North Sea was exhausted from the long low-level flight, but kept his machine straight. The weather was bad - the mist had become cold rain which quickly freezed at night. However, since they landed in daytime, the runway was clear of ice.

"This is Malma Air Force Base. You're clear to land on runway seven, BAW-Six-Four-Six. Commander Wilcke wants to know what you carry, we've got a little trouble acquiring all your proper flight plans right now. Can you help?"

"Affirmative Malma, we're carrying two Witches and a sizeable amount of new Striker Units, complete with weaponry, ammunition, spare parts and technicians. We're loaded to maximum weight and at almost bingo fuel, so we'll proceed to land. Keep the coffee hot, Malma. BAW-Six-Four-Six out."

"Positive, BAW-Six-Four-Six. The one thing here that works smoothly is the coffee machine. Err, observe caution, we just got word from flight control that three Witches are flying in your vicinity and will touch down next to you. Don't chop 'em. Malma AFB out."

In one smooth movement, the heavy cargo airplane touched down on runway seven in a very soft landing, quickly losing speed. At the end of the runway, the plane finally stood still and taxied away to have its cargo discharged. Yoshika got out first, followed by Mio and a few technicians and engineers who quickly ran away to get away from the biting cold and to report to their commanders. "Miyafuji! Don't run around, we have to report to the Commander. Follow me." Mio instructed her now again cheerful subordinate, who quickly began to inspect Malma Air Force Base. Soldiers and engineers from all nations were present, a lot of them working on fortifying the base in case of a preemptive strike by the enemy.

"Yoshika-chaaaaaan!" Yoshika suddenly heard a familiar voice above her, along with the sound of a Britannian Striker Unit. Coming from the rainy skies, Lynette Bishop performed a vertical touchdown. She wore a thick winter coat over her usual clothes, with the insignia of the Royal Brtiannian Air Force. After she had touched ground, she immediately fell around Yoshikas arms to embrace her in a warm hug. "Yoshika-chaaaaaan!" she repeated her words.

Mio turned around, thinking _let them be. _The two had sent letters to each other over the past years, but hadn't seen each other. Therefore, such a reunion just had to be a touching moment for them. Instead, Mio just looked up to see the other witches they were warned of - and smirked, as she saw that a warning was quite fit. Shirley and Lucchini were also present, circling a few times over Mios position, and then finally touching down.

A few minutes later, in dining hall. Yoshika and Lynne were still eagerly talking about the past years happenings, while Lucchini and Shirley were discussing the newest reports from the front with Gertrud and Erica. Sanya and Eila sat silently next to each other, with Eila trying to close in to Sanya unnoticed, inch by inch. The Witches were delighted that Yoshika and her famous Fuso-cooking were back, and since the cold weather made them pretty hungry, there were no leftovers. "By the way, everyone." Minna asked into the round, sitting next to Mio. "Does anyone know where Perrine is? Judging from the few flight plans I have - organisation around here is still a little chaotic - she should be here by now. Has anyone heard anything?"

Everybody shook their heads. They were worried, of course, but at the same time sure that she was okay. Perrine was an excellent Witch, with abilities far beyond those of the usual Neuroi.

"Well, probably just a delay due to bad weather." Minna concluded and continued her meal. In this moment, the door was opened and von Osterwitz entered the room. He didn't salute, since the dining hall was also the mess hall, and military greetings were not required. He had, however, not taken his helmet with him. "Good evening, everyone. Commander, Captain." He nodded towards Minna and Mio, as he sat down on a lone table in the far corner, near the fireside.

"He's not one to socialise, eh?" Erica whispered to Gertrud, who replied with "Don't talk bad about your superiors." without even looking at her.

After the meal was finally finished, von Osterwitz stood up and walked up to Minna, saying "I just got word from our radio operators down in radio room seven. They said that Flying Officer Clostermann will be late due to a malfunction on her Striker Unit. It's nothing severe, but they want her to be safe. I can understand that - crashing into the north sea at this time of the year is lethal."

"Well, than we don't need to worry. Will she be there in time?"

"Yes, from what I heard." von Osterwitz nodded. "According to herself, she'll arrive by midnight. That way, we can begin training tomorrow."

"Good. Everyone, did you hear that? Von Osterwitz, maybe it's time for you to give your first orders." Minna said and waited until everyone focused on von Osterwitz.

"Thanks, Ma'am." von Osterwitz replied with a nod to Minna and Mio. "Please convey the following orders to Clostermann as soon as she arrives. First of all, I expect all of you to be done with breakfast and morning wash by 6 AM. Please arrive in complete winter battle uniform - three exemplaries each have been placed in front of your respective rooms. At 6:20 AM, meet me in front of the arsenal where you will receive your personal weapons and equipment. We're not using Strikers yet. You will get basic and advanced infantry training, including offensive and defensive tactics, aggressive house sweeps, et cetera. Unfortunately, we're needed at the front so it'll be more of a crash-course. On second training day, you'll receive your new Ground-Strikers. We have received different models from different countries, so pick the ones you like. Training will end at 2 PM each day. After that - you will be off duty. Your infantry-courses will last two weeks. After that, it's off to battle. Any questions so far?"

Two hands were raised.

"Yes, errr, Miyafuji?"

"Captain von Osterwitz, I can't use magic right now, and so does Major Sakamoto. What about us?" Miyafuji asked with worry in her voice.

"Ah, yes, good that you mention it. You and Major Sakamoto will not begin training tomorrow. Instead, you'll go on a nonstop-flight at midnight to your former base in Venezia to receive your special treatment. You should be back around the next day." von Osterwitz replied while looking through a few papers. "Okay, next question. Yes, Lucchini?"

"Why do we have to get up so early?" Lucchini asked, earning a relieved laughter from the rest, even from von Osterwitz. "Well, because I say so. also, Neuroi usually aren't that merciful to let you sleep in before they attack. Okay, is that all? Yes? Good. I shall be going then. See you tomorrow at 6:20."

End of Chapter 4

A/N: Man, this chapter was difficult to write if I wanted it to be any good. The events are important enough to get a chapter, but not important enough to make an exciting chapter.


	5. Chapter 5 Blood, Sweat and Tears

**Talvisota**

_Disclaimer: I do not own, or claim ownership on Strike Witches or any other related copyrighted material. This fanfiction is merely the work of a fan, with no intent for commercial use. _

I never served in any kind of military. Therefore, research for this was tough. By the way - the author of this story is a severe case of gun-nut. So please, bear with me... :)

I have begun to separate different parts of the story by lines - that should solve my spacing-problems.

**Talvisota chapter 4 - Blood, Sweat and Tears**

At exactly 6:22 AM of the following day, von Osterwitz saw the most sleepy group of trainees he ever sat his eyes on. Some of them seemed just fine - Gertrud looked like she was in top shape, with uniforms just as they were supposed to be and a strong stance. Sanya looked a little sleepy around her eyes, but von Osterwitz deemed her appearance okay. Others, like Lucchini or Hartmann and Shirley looked like they got mugged on the way to the arsenal - uniform coats completely off, paddocks not properly attached. Perrine... in von Osterwitz' eyes, she had overdone it. She looked perfect, in both a military and aesthetic sence, giving off a refined and beautiful aura even in rugged winter camouflage clothing, however, despite all her acting he saw that she was dead tired. Eila was as energetic and cheerful as ever. Lynette looked normal - von Osterwitz had to double-check to spot her behind Shirley. _Is she afraid of me? _he asked himself, but quickly discarded the thought. He was a Karlslandian soldier and drill instructor, it was only natural that his trainees, even if they were of such high rank as some of them, would fear him in a way.

Their winter uniforms consisted of a thick, white coat with grey, brown and green stripe patterns on them, along them evenly thick pants, boots and gloves, all accompanied by snow goggles and a woolen scarf.

"Alright, everyone. To be honest, I'm disappointed. At least some of you managed to properly change into their uniforms - Barkhorn, from now on it's your task to supervise that every morning until they get it straight. You've got my permission to have those who do it wrong up to 40 push-ups, understood?" von Osterwitz said loudly, with a hint of a smile on his face. He wasn't especially sadistic - he only felt reminded of his first days in the army, when he was subjected to an even tougher treatment.

"Understood, Sir!" Barkhorn answered with a loud voice. Von Osterwitz began to like her - she was a good soldier.

"Alright. I guess I don't have to show you what to do in an arsenal - pick what you like and bring your ammunition. Live rounds, please. So, ladies - have fun shopping." he stepped aside from the lattice gate embedded into the oak-wooden wall.

Inside the arsenal were countless shelves reaching up to the ceiling, which rested fifteen meters above the Witches heads. The shelves, made from zinc-coated sheet, were filled with wooden boxes of different origins. Erica opened one of the boxes with a crowbar to see what was inside.

On a bed of hay lay two brand-new Stg-44 assault rifles, complete with operators manual. Quickly, over a dozen boxes were opened so that everyone could get their favourite weapon, or a new one to experiment with. Lynette chose a heavy Orussian PTRS-anti-tank-rifle, only being able to hold it by using her magical power. Perrine stuck to her old Bren-LMG, which had proven to be a reliable weapon for her. Erica kept her former weaponry - an MP40 and MG42 of Karlslandian production, but the latter outfitted with a new, ergonomic foregrip directly located behind the bipod. Gertrud chose an Stg-44, like Yoshika, and a Kar98 carbine for long range combat. Lucchini, usually responsible for head-on assaults and close dogfighting, chose a FNAB-43 submachine gun and Liberion Winchester Model 1897 shotgun. Shirley completely resorted to Liberion weaponry - a Thompson MP and an M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle, despite it's small magazine. Eila stuck to her Suomi M-31 submachine gun and MG42, and Sanya finally chose a Karlslandian Neuroischreck and a P38 for backup.

As the group finally got out of the arsenal, von Osterwitz looked at them satisfiedly. "Good, very good. Barkhorn, I have a request for you. I've got orders to test a new weapon from Orussia, and you seem just fit for it. Want to have a try? It's quite similar to your Stg-44."

Gertrud blushed for just a split second - Sanya noticed, Erica didn't. "W-well, if you want me to, I'll gladly follow your orders." she responded.

"Good. I'll give it to you at the shooting range. Now, everyone, follow me!"

* * *

><p>An hour of truck driving later, the group finally arrived at an unused crop field, covered in muds and patches of ice. It had rained over the past days, was misty in the day, and the rain usually froze during the night. The temperatures were cold, but still endurable. On the right edge of the field was a huge tent suited for over twenty persons, with a field kitchen and a long table.<p>

"Okay, everyone, sit down at the tent please so I can fill you in on the basic tactics. They're actually pretty simple, so we'll immediately practice them."

After everyone had followed their orders, von Osterwitz stood at the short side of the table and quickly explained the most basic tactics - moving under covering fire, flanking maneuvers, ambushes and even drive-by-shootings. "Any questions so far?"

Eila raised her hand.

"Yes, Juutilainen?" von Osterwitz shifted his attention towards her. "Don't be shy. Ask now - survive later."

"Are these tactics tested in combat? I mean, I don't want to criticise you, but they all seem a little...choppy." She said in a hesitating tone, as if it was embarassing to criticise an officer.

"Yes. I tested them all, personally. We used a pretty good flanking maneuver to provide covering fire for our Witches in the ruins of Dresdon." von Osterwitz responded, alluding to his 6th Army.

"But wasn't your 6th annihilated?" Eila furthely inquired, immediately regretting her words.

Klaus von Osterwitz stared into the grey sky for a moment. "Yeah. Many good men were slaughtered out there. I can still remember some of their faces... Franz had his face blown clean off his skull, splattered onto a nearby tank. Friedrich got decapitated by the wheel of an exploding steam train. We never even found Hans - his wife will forever wait for her husband to come home. He was my neighbour. Before the war, we used to go to school together. But you know what? You are witches. You are better. You have killed countless Neuroi. You will learn these tactics. You will refine them according to your needs and capabilities. And you will use these tactics, your magics and your equipment for one purpose, and one purpose only - to annihilate Neuroi until there's nothing left of them. Do you understand?"

The last words were shouted, rather than said in his usual calm tone. The shocked silence told him that they, indeed, understood.

And yes, they understood. Klaus already knew they were a good team, but he had to see it with his very eyes to make sure. They moved not like individuals, they moved like a unit. No human foe could withstand such coordinated, immense firepower - it would be a hard fight for the Neuroi. And even though they often fell into the mud, even though there were injuries, there was always someone to help the stragglers up and make them advance against their invisible dummy-targets. After three hours, Klaus sounded his whistle, to order everyone back to the tent. After everyone sat down again, covered in mud, and, occasionally, blood and tears, he stood in his former position and said "To be honest, Witches, I've never seen anything like this before. I'm impressed. If you keep this up, another hive will soon just be a lamb to the slaughter by your hands. Now, that was enough exercising for now - let's get to shooting!"

* * *

><p>The shooting range was nothing more than a low wall of sandbags, with an earthmound 800 meters behind it. Several human-shaped targets were deployed at all distances downrange.<p>

"Alright, officers, I guess I don't need to tell you what to do, or evaluate your shooting. Just get used to these weapons. From now on, these are yours, and you will not bring them back to the arsenal. Now, Barkhorn, you come with me for a second. Everyone else- FIRE!"

A hammering cacophony of blasts and bursts began, a sheer torture to everyones eardrums. The plywood-targets closest to the firing line were quickly hit, with a piece of wood equal to the size of a hand being blown off by every bullet. The targets further downrage needed some zeroing, but after just a few rounds, these were torn apart by rapid machine gun, SMG and carbine fire, too.

"My, this is such an unrefined way of fighting..." Perrine complained and reloaded her machine gun. "Lying in mud, dirtying my skin and clothes...how crude is that?"

"But it's fun!" Lucchini responded, with huge mud-stains on her cheeks and forehead. "It's like playing in a sandbox, the only difference is that I've got these huge guns!" With these words, she let down another magazine of 9mm Parabellum-bullets downrange, cutting one of the farther targets in half.

"Tsk. Such unrefined tastes suit you, Lucchini. I'll arrange for me to go back to the airborne units - such a dirty way of fighting is not suitable for a noble lady like me!" Perrine answered and got up. Everybody - except von Osterwitz and Barkhorn - shifted their attention to her. "You shouldn't do that. Do you even know why we're fighting on ground now?" Eila asked her.

"No, and I don't care. You go play in the mud - I'll go back to the skies and fight the enemy with dignity and chivalry!" With a conceited expression and stance, she walked towards the truck.

"Witches are dying out there, Perrine." Eila shouted after her. These words had some effect - Perrine stopped walking. However, she didn't turn around again. Her hair had suffered some damage from the mud, and her glasses were fogged.

"For some reason, the enemy can now penetrate our airborne shields. Only on the ground we can use our full shields. If you want to fight as a witch - you fight on the ground. Otherwise, you're dead." Eila chose her words with caution, as to not upset Perrine as she had upset von Osterwitz before.

"And why are you here then, Juutilainen?" Perrine asked, desperately trying not to admit that Eila was right. "You never used a shield before. You can simply evade every enemy attack. Why are you here then?"

"Because of Sa...Sany...San...solidarity! Yes, solidarity it is!" Eilas answer came stumbled, as she felt caught - she had almost told everyone her little secret...

At the same time, Gertrud was inspecting that new Orussian weapon von Osterwitz wanted her to test. The overall layout was similar to the battle-proven Stg-44, however, there was a wooden handguard in the front and the whole weapon was a little short and a little heavier. The ironsights were quite similar to Karlslandian weaponry, but still, not entirely the same. The curved magazine was a little thicker and heaver than that of the Stg, but overall, the new weapon had a better balance even though it was heavier. The sights could be adjusted to ranges from 100 to 800 meters, but the operators manual stated that the maximum effective range was around 400 meters. Still, a Witch should have been capable of hitting targets at the maximum range. Important parts of the firing mechanism were plated with chromium, which dramatically decreased the need for cleaning and increased the service life by around 50 years. The weapon Gertrud was holding was, indeed, something completely new, incorporating the newest technologies available on the battlefield. The serial number on the weapon showed her that the rifles shipped to Baltland were of the first production days - the weapons still smelled like oil and wood, and were just a few days old.

The boxes they came in said "Avtomat Kalashnikova 1947 - AK-47".

"Go ahead, try it. I'd like to see the effects it has. Everyone, cease fire! Barkhorn will give us a little show now." von Osterwitz said, shouting his last words to the Witches. The firing stopped immediately, and the solid click-sounds of safety switches was the only noise besides the rain and an occasional sneeze. Gertrud stepped up at the range and kneeled down into the mud, aiming at the few remaining targets the others had left for her. Mentally adjusting for wind and air humidity along the bullets flightpath, assessing distance and the bullets flight speed, she quickly pulled the trigger through.

Three loud shots echoed from nearby walls, the rifles wooden stock hammered into Gertruds shoulder, one bullet hit the ground behind her intended target and launched mud and pieces of remaining ice over two meters into the air. The other two shots, however, pulverized a good portion of the targets head and central area, cutting it in half.

Von Osterwitz inspected the target from his chair next to Gertrud and praised her with the words "Impressive shooting. Go on." Gertrud hadn't even noticed him sitting down next to her and was accordingly startled. However, she continued shooting with increasing accurazy until her magazine was empty.

"Stand up, Barkhorn." von Osterwitz ordered, and Gertrud followed. He, too, stood up and faced her, with less than a meter of distance between them. "Your opinion?"

"It's a good weapon, Sir." Gertrud answered after thinking for a second. "The recoil is managable, especially when my shoulders are cushioned by such winter clothing. Accuracy is okay, could be better, but the damage down by each bullet seems to be immense. I'd say it's a good weapon for combat in close quarters and head-on assaults. It doesn't seem to jam or be vulnerable to dirt. It's equal to or better than the Stg-44 in most aspects, except range where it's inferior."

Von Osterwitz began to wander about, with everyones eyes on him. To the Witches, he was a strange officer. He could be as strict as Mio, and at the same time give off a friendly air like Minna. But still, the most fascinating and yet terrifying detail about him were his eyes. Few of them could withstand looking him in the eyes for just a few seconds, because he never really seemed to look at anyone or anything. It seemed that he looked straight into the netherworld - always remembering the hell all of them had seen. Gertrud was intrigued - he was a piece of living history, another type of soldier. And, at least to her, good-looking too...

Perrine, however, immediately decided to dislike him. If he thought that he could replace Mio as their trainer, he was dead wrong, she thought. And he was from the ground forces - the dirtiest job in the military! There was no chivalry, no nobility on the ground, just pigs crawling from one hole to another, desperately trying not to be dismembered by the Neuroi.

"Alright, Barkhorn. Good work." He finally said. "If you want to, you can bring one to battle. As soon as it begins, maybe I'll field one too. Everyone, you did good work today. Let's head back to base, wash up and have dinner. If you keep up that progress, the Neuroi in the east will be done in no time!"

End of Chapter 5

A/N: The AK-47 was introduced as standard weaponry in 1949 for the soviet forces, but handpicked elite-units got it in 1947 already for testing. That's what just happened in this chapter.

Yes, I know. This was boring. Just training is always boring. But don't worry, this story will get somewhere soon. I hope...


	6. Chapter 6 Searing Pain

**Talvisota**

_Disclaimer: I do not own, or claim ownership on Strike Witches or any other related copyrighted material. This fanfiction is merely the work of a fan, with no intent for commercial use. _

Hooray for spellcheck!

**Talvisota chapter 6 - Searing Pain**

A cold first of November 1947, and the sixth day of the Strike Witches infantry-training. The rain had gradually become snow, and any frost or ice had stopped to melt during the day. It had snowed for the entire past three days and therefore, the snow had piled up quite high in some places. On Malma Air Force Base, soldiers from all countries were occupied with snow shoveling and pumping heating oil in the quickly depleting underground tanks. The mood was gloomy with a subtle hint of anger, with officers having to intervene in smaller brawls on a daily basis. The ambulance service reported the first minor cases of frostbite, and soldiers rations had been increased to supply them with the energy necessary to withstand the biting, moist cold. Guard duty on the walls at night was considered a harsh penalty by the soldiers, but a necessity by their superiors.

Erica and Gertrud had no such inconveniences, since von Osterwitz had given the Witches a day off, a small reward for their good work that even Gertrud enjoyed with a nice, hot bath. They were alone in the bath though, since Eila and Sanya had decided to use the sauna instead, Shirley and Lucchini volunteered to buy supplies in Malma, Lynette was helping Minna with paperwork and Perrine apparently was relaxing her strained muscles in her room. Yoshika and Sakamoto had returned the day before, but hadn't talked to anyone about what happened during their _special treatment_ yet.

Erica was silently humming a popular song from her homeland as she enjoyed the baths warm, relaxing water. She had stumbled upon a mixture of bathing herbs in her room as she dodged a landslide of books and clothes, and she thought it was a good idea to try them out. She was proven right - a bath as relaxing as that was new to even her.

"I wonder what happened to Miyafuji and Major Sakamoto..." Gertrud whispered to herself before falling into a frail, light sleep ...

* * *

><p>Three days earlier in the sunlit Venezian seas. A small speedboat with two Fuso-Witches on it was rapidly approaching Liberion lifting ship ULS <em>Volcano<em>, a 1.600 ton displacing support vessel, primarily specializing in the lifting of shipwrecks. In order to stabilize the ship even when a wreck hung on its red-painted crane, it had a very broad hulk and low superstructure. Half a dozen oceangoing tugs circled the mighty crane-ship, waiting for something to tug into the next harbor. In the distance, Yoshika could see the coast of Venezia, where the brave Venezian people were already in the middle of rebuilding their coast towns.

Major Sakamoto instead was observing the salvage operation ahead of her. They had never been told what the scientists responsible for their restoration treatment planned, and such she wondered why they'd be salvaging the _Yamato_ for that. They didn't even plan to recover the whole ship, apparently, the the radar tower was sufficient. Still, due to the ships immense armor, the whole superstructure had to be cut off by technical divers in heavy diving dresses, with crews aboard the _Volcano_ constantly pumping air into their air tubes.

Aboard the small speedboat Sakamoto and Yoshika were on was another person, a person directly responsible for their treatment. She was a woman of around forty years, with the sharp eyes of the Orussians. Her hair was blonde with first hints of gray, her eyes a dark hazel. Her name was Dr. Irina Ivanova Slowokov, and according to her background, she was an expert in magical research, being a Witch herself at younger age.

The speedboat stopped at the starboard-side of the _Volcano_, and the crew quickly let down a pair of corded ladders for the three ex-Witches to climb up.

"Welcome aboard the ULS _Volcano_, ladies." a bearded, old man in a blue navy-uniform and the hat of a captain greeted them. "Everything's going smoothly, and we're in time to lift the radio tower. All we are waiting for is your signal, Dr. Slowokov."

"_Da_. Proceed." The reticent scientist responded and turned around to Major Sakamoto and Yoshika. "I guess it's time for me to explain our plan. We know that while a Witch has her magic powers, these accumulate. You gradually lose power after a specific age, and once you have expended all your power, you can no longer accumulate, therefore regenerate any magic power. The solution to that is simple, as our research states - if we forcibly insert an immense amount of magical power into your bodies, you will start to regenerate your magic again as if you were fifteen years old again. You will be able to use Striker Units, shields and any spells you might know."

"But magic can't be transferred onto a Witch, doctor." Major Sakamoto objected.

"We thought so too, until just a few weeks ago." Dr. Slowokov admitted. "However, a student of Prof. Dr. Albert Einstein himself, who wishes to stay anonymous, has found the solution to that. It's simple in it's principles, but the ingredients needed are rare. However, we have enough for one attempt each."

"So, what are we waiting for?" Miyafuji asked. Apparently, she was, after all, excited to fly again and couldn't sit still, wandering about and inspecting various parts of the ship.

"There is one thing we need. It's currently being brought aboard." Dr. Slowokov smirked, pointing towards the _Yamato_'s radio tower, which hung on a reinforced steel rope, causing the maximum encumbrance crane and ship were capable of carrying.

"Don't tell me..." Major Sakamoto gasped. "The Magic Engine Dynamo?"

* * *

><p>Somewhere at the eastern front...<p>

What had begun in Malma was already there in full strength at the eastern front: Winter. During the nights, it sometimes became so cold that even gasoline froze, rendering the fast and light motorcycles used to bring supplies to small firing groups useless. Several teams of infantry and ground-Witches lived off their emergency provisions until a small package was brought to them by either horse or reindeer. All in all, it was not enough. Injured personnel began to pile up as the first aid stations were overwhelmed and out of supplies. Lakes were frozen, so it was difficult to get drinkable water out of them, the ground was harder than concrete, making it impossible to dig any considerable entrenchments. Smaller, surrounded groups at the front lines had begun to eat their reindeer and horses, for sheer survival, others had entirely surrendered and retreated.

Among the injured, the suffering and the fearing in the icy winter hell of eastern Suomus was one Witch who had never lost her temperament - she never had any to begin with. Tar-black hair, snow-white skin, blue eyes that seemed not to look at what was directly in front of her but far ahead, this Witch never faltered, never complained. Sini Häyhä was her name, and she was a Witch from eastern Suomus, a prodigy with the sniper rifle. She wore the lightest and quietest ground striker the world had to offer, one that consisted of nothing more than a small motor compartment and a few reinforcing wires around her legs, which were, unlike those of other Witches, covered by thick snow pants. Her Lahti-L39 rifle hadn't been cleaned since the beginning of the battle, but had fired an immense amount of shots. She had stopped counting. She had stopped caring. 30mm ammunition was plenty, and so were the enemies. It worked out.

Until one day a Baltlandian Witch showed up, bearing the insignia of Baltlands Royal Air Force. Sini never saw much of her face, for it was, like hers, covered in scarves and shawls, eyes protected by snow goggles. "Second Lieutenant Häyhä?" she asked, saving her breath.

"That's me. What can I do for you, Captain?" Sini asked back, already annoyed. Couldn't those Baltlandians get right to business? War wasn't the place for latency.

"I have orders for you from your headquarters. You are to head to the city of Malma to train the 501st Joint Fighter Wing, the Strike Witches - you might have heard of them. Apparently, they're being prepared for ground warfare to serve as reinforcements over here. A car's waiting for you - we'd fly, but I already had to fly just above ground level in order not to get shot down. My two wing-men met that fate already..." The Baltlandian Witch began to sob just a little bit - a normal person wouldn't even have noticed. But Häyhä was a sniper, and snipers were trained to notice even seemingly unimportant details. "Alright" Sini answered. "Take the lead."

* * *

><p>After a long medical checkup, Yoshika and Major Sakamoto sat down on two black contraptions resembling dentist's chairs, with several wires, isolated by a layer of lead, leading to the armrests. The room the contraptions were placed in was tiled white, without any further furniture except for an old side table with a phonograph on it that sent calming classical music through the dimly lit room resembling a torture chamber.<p>

A familiar face stepped - along with the appertaining body - into the room. It was Ursula Hartmann, Erica Hartmann's twin sister and a famed scientist. She wore a white lab coat with Karlslandian insignia on it, and her eyes showed that sleep had been a luxury for her during the last few days or even weeks. "Good day, Sergeant Miyafuji, Major Sakamoto. Are you feeling well?" she greeted them formally, quickly taking a few notes on a clipboard she carried in front of her chest.

"Well, could be better." Major Sakamoto answered bitterly, with Yoshika agreeing to her with a tortured nod. "Can we begin then?"

"Indeed. We can only do one at the same time though. Who wants to begin?" Hartmann asked, ready to give a pitying look to whoever chose herself. "I must warn you. It will be a little painful."

"If I can fly again, I'm ready for anything. I refuse to retire, you know." Major Sakamoto angrily exclaimed. "Bring it on!"

Hartmann just nodded and began to tie up Sakamotos hands with several sturdy leather straps reinforced with padlocks. "Just for safety." she pointed out at Yoshikas worried expression. Afterward, she pulled out a small glass syringe from her lab coat. "This is a mild sedative, to ease the pain a bit. We put the Dynamo in a reinforced steel bunker for safety, so it's only connected to here by wires. Are you afraid of syringes? In that case, please close your eyes."

Sakamoto endured the syringe, not letting it out of her eye as the sharp tip penetrated her skin on her right elbow, piercing directly into the vein transporting blood into her brain. The pain wasn't that bad - the cold from the sedative was. It felt like she got ice poured right into her blood vessels, and even though it was cold, she started to break a sweat. However, just a few seconds later, the awful sensation stopped, and her world was alright again. It was, indeed, a little funny, yeah, right...

Until Hartmann attached over a dozen electrodes on Sakamotos forehead, hands, feet, chest and stomach and pulled a large wooden lever. Even though the cables were insulated by over an inch of lead, bolts of pure magic energy struck the surrounding tiles, managing to destroy quite a few. The noise was earsplitting, like a thousand thunderstorms, compressed to such a tiny area. Sakamoto screamed out like a desperate, injured animal, with all the might her pulmonary musculature was able to give - and even a bit more. In between screams, as more and more energy flowed into her body, she desperately tried to catch air while coughing up drops of blood. Her muscles vibrated, and it felt like they were going to be shattered every moment, every muscle in her body felt like it was filled with fervent stone salt and daggers, her heart acted up and stopped beating for a second...

... and then it was over. The straps were loosened again, sweat ran down Sakamotos forehead. Her legs and arms where still trembling, but the pain slowly subsided. Ignoring Hartmann's head, she ripped off the electrodes from her body.

"1200 hours. End of treatment. Subject looks fine. Main- and auxiliary detectors show one confirmed stable magic field. Experiment successful. Next up is Yoshika Miyafuji. Would you like a stronger sedative?"

Sakamoto was horrified to see her young friend and battle comrade suffer so much. The pain had been bad for Sakamoto already, but to see it on another person so dear to her was worse. Unlike her, Yoshika even started to cry, and was even sobbing when the treatment was over. Showing at least a bit of empathy, Hartmann handed her a piece of candy.

"Dr. Hartmann!" Sakamoto said after the two had rested a bit and went back to the deck to be brought back to Venezia, in order to board a plane back to Malma.  
>"Yes, Major Sakamoto? Is there anything left?" Ursula Hartmann answered. "By the way, you two, please try casting a shield."<p>

The two concentrated, and again broke a sweat - but eventually, to their own surprise, it worked. The shields were tiny and fragile, since they had just begun to regenerate their magic powers, but they had some - and with that, the whole battle had turned a completely new direction.

"Impressive." Hartmann pointed out. "I wouldn't have believed that this treatment actually worked..."

Upon hearing this, Major Sakamoto committed a crime that was gently overlooked in the report later - she lunged out her fist and punched Hartmann directly into her face, breaking both her glasses and nose.

"Some things have to be done, Miyafuji. Now, let's head to Malma. The others are waiting." She said upon Yoshikas shocked expression, with Hartmann rubbing her nose in the background and being treated by two navy-medics.

End of Chapter 6

A/N: Sini Häyhä is, of course, based on Simo Häyhä, a Finnish sniper who was active during the Winter War (Finn: Talvisota) and scored over 700 kills in around 100 days of warfare.

Yes, Sakamoto punched Ursula in the face. And I guess everyone, even Barkhorn would have done that after such a statement.


End file.
